Estelle Johnson facts for kids
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Johnson with the North Carolina Courage in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Estelle Laura Johnson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Maroua, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2009 | Kansas Jayhawks | 85 | (4) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Philadelphia Independence | 33 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Sydney FC | 11 | (1) |
| 2012 | New York Fury | ||
| 2013 | Western New York Flash | 22 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Washington Spirit | 71 | (2) |
| 2019–2022 | Gotham FC | 34 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | North Carolina Courage | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 171 | (4) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2023 | Cameroon | 5 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:25, 17 July 2022 (UTC) |
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Estelle Laura Johnson, born on July 21, 1988, is a former professional footballer from Cameroon. She was a strong defender on the field. Estelle played for several teams, including the Western New York Flash, Washington Spirit, and Gotham FC in the NWSL. She also played for the Philadelphia Independence in the WPS and Sydney FC in Australia.
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Estelle Johnson's Early Life
Estelle Johnson was born in Cameroon. Her father was American, and her mother was from Mali. Because of her father's job, her family moved around a lot. They eventually settled in Colorado when Estelle was in elementary school.
Growing Up in Fort Collins
Estelle grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado. She played soccer at Rocky Mountain High School for four years. As a freshman, she was named the best defensive player on her team. She earned special honors for her skills during her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. She was also named an all-state player in her junior and senior years. Estelle was even named her team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) as a sophomore and junior.
Estelle was also part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Region IV pool. This program helps find and train talented young athletes. She was also the captain of her club team, Fort Collins Arsenal.
College Soccer Career
Estelle Johnson went to the University of Kansas. She played soccer for the Jayhawks from 2006 to 2009.
Playing for the Jayhawks
During her first year, she played in almost all of her team's games. She helped the Jayhawks stop their opponents from scoring many goals. She was recognized as one of the best new players in her conference.
As a sophomore, she started every game and played a lot of minutes. She was named to a special team for the Central Region. In her junior year, Estelle started every game again. She played a record number of minutes for the team. She received more awards for her strong play.
Professional Club Career
Estelle Johnson played for several professional soccer clubs during her career.
Philadelphia Independence
Estelle was first chosen by the Los Angeles Sol in the 2010 WPS Draft. However, that team stopped playing before the 2011 season. So, Estelle signed with the Philadelphia Independence. She played in 16 games for them, starting 13 times. In the 2011 season, she started 15 games and scored one goal.
Western New York Flash
In 2013, Estelle was drafted by the Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was one of the first players chosen in that draft.
Washington Spirit
On February 24, 2015, Estelle was traded to the Washington Spirit. In her first year with the Spirit, she played in almost every game. She played a lot of minutes on the field. In 2016, she played in eleven matches. She started in 30 of her 31 games over those two seasons.
Sky Blue FC (Now Gotham FC)
In January 2019, Estelle was traded to Sky Blue FC. She moved with two of her teammates. On July 12, 2021, Estelle reached a big milestone. She had played over 10,000 minutes in the NWSL.
North Carolina Courage
On December 1, 2022, Estelle Johnson signed a two-year contract with the North Carolina Courage. She was one of the first players to sign a contract under the NWSL's new rules for free agents.
Playing for Cameroon
Estelle Johnson became interested in playing for the Cameroon national team. This is the country where she was born. She saw them do well in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. It took some time to join the team. But when coach Alain Djeumfa joined in January 2019, her spot on the team was confirmed.
World Cup Experience
Estelle was named to Cameroon's team on May 1, 2019. She played her first game 16 days later against Spain. That same month, she was chosen for Cameroon's final team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.
At the 2019 World Cup, Estelle played every minute of all four of Cameroon's matches. This included three group stage games and their game against England in the Round of 16.
Awards and Achievements
Estelle Johnson received several honors during her soccer career.
Team Honors
- Western New York Flash
- NWSL Shield: 2013 (This award goes to the team with the best record in the league.)
Individual Awards
- IFFHS CAF Women's Team of the Decade: 2011–2020 (This means she was chosen as one of the best players in Africa for that ten-year period.)
- NWSL Team of the Month: April 2017, June 2017, April 2018, September 2021 (She was recognized as one of the best players in the NWSL during these months.)
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